Self-driving Storage Device for Flexible Automotive Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing production lines and assembly lines lack flexibility to accommodate changing product cycles and variants, making it difficult to rectify defects during assembly without stopping the entire line, and existing material flow systems cannot efficiently remove or reinsert partially or fully assembled motor vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled storage facility with omnidirectional movement capabilities, featuring a truss-like support structure, lifting towers, and rack-and-pinion drives for vertical and horizontal movement of storage floor elements, allowing for flexible integration with driverless transport vehicles and enabling the storage and relocation of body components or motor vehicles within a material flow system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rigid production line or assembly line is used, then the manufacturing process is stable and efficient, but the flexibility to accommodate changing product cycles and variants is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is designed with omnidirectional movement capabilities through a traversing device with multiple independently controllable rotary drives, allowing the storage system to dynamically reposition itself rather than being fixed in place. This dynamic positioning enables flexible adaptation to different production needs and product variants while maintaining efficient material flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is divided into multiple independently movable storage floor elements that can be selectively positioned. Each storage floor element can be independently traversed to different locations, allowing flexible configuration for different product assembly needs without moving the entire production line.
2Reliability
If the entire conveyor belt is stopped to perform rework on defective vehicles, then the defect can be corrected, but the production process is interrupted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device can extract or remove specific storage floor elements containing defective vehicles from the main production flow. By isolating the defective unit in a separate storage location, the rest of the production line continues operating without interruption while the defective vehicle is addressed separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The omnidirectional storage device acts as an intermediary buffer between the assembly line and defect correction processes. Defective vehicles are transferred to the storage device which serves as a temporary holding area, allowing rework to be performed without stopping the main production line.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a mobile assembly carrier with AGVs is used, then the material flow is decoupled and flexibility is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device combines multiple functions into a single integrated system: it provides storage capacity, omnidirectional movement capabilities, and integration with the material flow system. By merging these functions into one unit, the overall system complexity is reduced compared to using separate AGVs for material transport and fixed storage structures.
4Stability of the object's composition
If body components or vehicles are stored on fixed assembly lines, then the production process is stable, but the ability to easily remove and reinsert vehicles for rework is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The storage floor elements are designed to be dynamically repositionable rather than fixed. The omnidirectional traversing device enables storage floor elements to be moved to various positions, making vehicle removal and reinsertion straightforward while maintaining stable storage conditions when vehicles are in place.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for flexible production and ejection of faulty or partially assembled motor vehicles, enabling efficient rework without stopping the assembly line, reducing costs, and improving the ability to manage varying vehicle types and assembly complexities.
Implementation Method 1
rack-and-pinion drives for vertical and horizontal movement of storage floor elements
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a self-driving storage device (10) in particular for storing and/or transporting body components of motor vehicles, in particular base modules of motor vehicles, or motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, comprising a base element (12) and a support structure (14) which is arranged on the base element (12), is designed to receive the body components or the motor vehicles in the final or partially assembled state, and has a plurality of storage spaces (16) with movable storage base elements (18). The storage device (10) has a movement device (45) arranged on the base element (12), said movement device being designed such that the storage device (10) can be moved omnidirectionally in a self-driving manner, in particular in a floor-bound manner.